Railway signaling system



H. A. WALLACE.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICAHON FILED JAN.18, I918- Patented June 22, 1920.

PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED sTAr 1-: s

HERBERT A. WALLACE, OI PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH 8:7 SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISS-VALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

Patented June 22, 1920.

Application filed January 18, 1918. Serial No. 212,382.

To all whom it may concern: 3

Be it known that I, HE BERTA. WALLACE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Railway Signaling Systems, of which the following is a specification. i I

My invention relates to rallway ,SlgIliLlllig systems, and particularly to systems of the type. known as normal danger signaling systems. That is,

Referring to the drawing, the reference character 1 designatesthe track rails of railway over which traflic moves in the direction indicated by the arrow, which rails are divided by insulated joints 2 into a plurality of block sections A-B, B-C, C- D, etc. At the entrance end of each section is a signal whichis designated by the reference character S with an exponent corresponding to the location of the signal. of these signals is adapted'to give three 111 dications, viz., stop, caution and pro ceed; as here shown, each signal is of the three-position semaphore type, although any suitable type of signal capable of giving the three said indications may be substituted.

Each block section is provided with a track circuit comprising the rails of the sec tion, a source of signaling current connected with the rails adjacent'the exit end of the section,and a track relay having a winding connected with the rails adjacent the entrance end of the section.

track rails through a pole-changer operated by the signal for the section next in f advance. These polechangers are so operated that current from each source flows in the rails at a given instant in one direcw,

it aims to provide a novel and useful system of the type wherein I h The immediate source of current for each section s av transformer designated U with an exponent cor- V of which is connectedwiththe tion, which Twill term the normal diif rection, when the signal indicates stop,

and in the other or reverse direction when the signal indicates caution and proceed. v The end terminals of the primary winding of each transformer U receive current from a source of signaling current. As here shown, this current, for

convenience, istaken from the secondary winding of a transformerwhich is designated T with an exponent corresponding to the location. The primary winding of each transformer T is supplied with alternat mg signaling current from a suitable, source which is omitted'from the drawing for the sake of simplification. Each track relay is designated R with an exponent correspond ing to the location, and comprises a winding 3 connected with the track rails, and another winding 4; connected with terminal 5 of the primary winding of the adjacent transformer U and with a tap 6 at the middle point of this primary winding. Eachrelay comprises contact fingers 8,9, 10 and 11,

which contact fingers assume vertical positions when the relay is deenergized, but are swung to the right when the relay is energized in normal direction (due to current of normal polarity being supplied to the track circuit) andto the left when the relay is energized in reverse direction (due to current of reverse; polarity being supplied to the track circuit). I

At each signal location I provide an auxiliary relay designated by the reference character X, with an exponent corresponding to the location. Each of these relays comprises two windings 12' and 13, the winding 12 being constantly connected with the secondary of the adjacent transformer T. Ending 13 of each relay X is provided with a circuit which is controlled by contact 9 of the track relay at the next signal location in the rear; thiscircuit for winding 13 of relay X is from the left-hand terminal of transformer-l3, through wire 1.5,resistance 15, contact finger 9 of relay R wires 16 and 17, contact finger S of relay R wire 18, winding 13 of relay X 3, wires 19, i

20, O, and 21, to the middle terminal 6 of transformer U. It follows then, that when relay R is deenergized and relay R is energized in either direction, winding 13 of relay X issupplied with current from. the left-hand half of the primary of transformer U. Relay X is then energized in such direction that its contact fingers 22 and 23 are swung to the left, and this direction of energization of relay X I will call the normal direction. lVinding 13 of each relay X is provided with another circuit which is closed when the relay X at the next location in the rear is energized in normal direction. That is, this circuit is controlled by contact finger 22 of the auxiliary relay at the next signal location in the rear. This circuit for winding 13 of relay X is from the right-hand terminal 7 of transformer U through wire 24, resistance'25, contact finger 22 of relay X wire 26, wire 17 con tact finger 8 of relay R wire 18, winding 13 of relay X and wires 19, 20, O and 21 to the middle terminal 6 of the primary of transformer U". hen this circuit is closed, therefore, winding 13 of relay X is energized from the right-hand half of the primary of transformer U so that relay X is energized in such direction that its contact fingers .22 and 23 are swung to the right, which direction I will term-the reverse direction of energization. It will be noted that when any one ofthe relays X is energized in the normal direction, contact 22 of such relay is closed, but that when the relay is energized in the reverse direction this contact 22 is opened. Contact '22 is, of

course, open whenthe relay is de'energized. Contact 23 is open when the relay is denergized, andis closed when the relay is energized in either direction' Each signal S is provided with a caution indication circuit and a proceed indication circuit, which circuits are controlled by the adjacent relays P and X. For example, the

caution indication circuit for signal S is from the left-hand terminal of the. secondary of transformer T through wires 27, 28 and 29, contact 23 of relay X wire 30, right-hand point of contact 11 of relay R wire 31, mechanism of signal S wire 32, righthand point of contact 10 of relay R wires 33 and 34- to the right-hand terminal of transformer T. This circuit is closed when relay R is energized in normal direction and relay X is energized in either direction. The proceed indication circuit for signal S is from the left-hand terminal of transformer T through wires 27, 28 and 29, contact 23 of relay X wire 30, left-hand point of contact 11 of relay R wire 35, mechanism of signal S wire 32, left-hand point of contact 10 of relay R and wires 33 and 3% to the right-hand terminal of secondary of t 'ansformer T It will be noted that this proceed indication circuit is closed when relay R is energized in the reverse direction and relay X is energized in either direction. i

It follows then, that in order that either circuit for a signal may be closed, the adjacent relay X must be energized, and that the signal then will indicate caution or 7 proceed according as the adjacent track relay is energized in normal or reverse direction.

The operation of the system is as follows:

When. no trains are present, each relay X is decnergized, because the circuits for windings 13 of these relays are open, consequently, each signal indicates stop. Each track relay R is, therefore, energized in normal direction. This is the condition of the system as shown in the drawing.

I will now assume, that a trainmoving in V the direction indicated by the arrow enters block section A- B. Relay R immedi-ately becomes deenergized, so that contact 9 of this relay closes the normal energizationcircuit for winding 13 of relay X whereupon the latter relay becomes energized innormal direction. The closure of the contact 23 of relay X closes the cautionindication circuit for signal S whereupon this signal moves to thecaution position. The closure of contact 22of relay X closes the reverse energization circuit for winding 13 0f relay X whereupon the latter relay becomesenergized in reverse direction, so that its contacts are swung to the right. Theclosure of contact 23' of relay X closes the caution indication circuit for signal S whereupon this signal moves to the caution position. lVhen signal S reaches the caution position, or just before it reaches this point, pole changer P is reversedso that relay R becomes energized in the reverse direction; The contacts of this relay then swing to the left, so that contact 11 closes the roceed indicationcircuit of signal S gignal S then moves to the proceed position; During the reversal of relay'R contact 9' of this relay momentarily closes the normal energization circuit for winding 13oflre1ay X", so-that momentarily the winding 13 of relay X is deenergized. The moving partsof this relay or of signal S or both, are so designed, however, that during thisinterval the polechanger P is not operated to change the trackcircuit for section BC back to normal polarity.

It will be noted that contact 22 of relay X remains open, so that relay X remains deenergized; signal S therefore, continues to occupy the stop position.

The operation of thesystem as thetrain passes from section A-B into section BC, and so on along the stretch oftrack, will be apparent from the foregoing.

AlthoughI have herein shown and de scribed only one form of railway signaling system embodying my invention, it is under stood that various changes and modifications may be made thereinwithin the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A normal danger signaling system comprising a plurality of block sections, a

signal for each section adapted to indicate proceed, caution and stop, a track circuit for each section including a source of current and a relay responsive to reversals of current, means controlled by each signal for connecting the source of current for the sectlon 1n the rear with the ralls of the section in normal direction when the signal direction when the track relay is deeners gized, means controlled by each auxiliary relay when energized in normal direction for energizing the auxiliary relay for the section in advance in reverse direction, a caution indication circuit for each signal closed when the auxiliary relay for the same section is energized in'either direction and the track relay for the same section is energized in normal direction, and proceed indication circuit for each signal closed when the auxiliary relay for the same section is energized in either direction and the t1 acl: relay for the same direction is energized in reverse direction.

2. A normal danger signaling system comprising a plurality of block sections, a signal for each section adapted to indicate proceed, caution and stop, a track circuit for each section including a source of current and a relay responsive to reversals of current, means controlled by each signal for connecting the source of current for the section in the rear with the rails of the section in normal direction when the signal indicates stop and in reverse direction when the signal indicates caution, an auxiliary relay for each section responsive to reversals of current, one terminal of each auxiliary relay being connected with the middle point of a source of current, means controlled by each track relay when deenergized for con.- necting the remaining terminal of the auxiliary relay for the section in advance with,

one terminal of the source for such relay whereby such auxiliary relay is then energized in normal direction, means controlled by each auxiliary relay when energized in normal direction for connecting the said remaining terminal of the auxiliary relay for the section in advance with the other terminal of the source for such latter relaywhereby the latter relay is then energized in reverse direction, a caution indication circuit for each signal closed when the auxiliary relay for the same section is energized in either direction and the track in presence of two witnesses.

relay forthe same section is energized in,

normal direction, and a proceed indication circuit foreach signal closed when the auxiliary relay for the same sction is energized in either direction and the track relay for the same section is energized in reverse direction. r a

3. A normal danger signaling system comprising a plurality of block sections, a

track relay for each section responsive to reversals of current, means for supplying current to the rails of each section in one direction or the other, an auxiliary relay for each section; responsive to reversals of current, means controlled by each track relay for energizing the auxiliary relay for the section in advance in one direction and means controlled, by each auxiliary relay when energized in such direction for energizing the auxiliary relay for the next section in advance in the other direction and signals for the sections controlled by said track relays and by said auxiliary relays.

4:. A normal danger signaling system comprising a plurality of block sections, a track relay for each section responsive to reversals of current, ai'rauxiliary relay for each section also responsive to reversals of current, means controlled by each track relay. for energizing the auxiliary relay for the section in advance in one direction, and means controlled by each auxiliary relay when energizedin such direction for energizing the auxiliary relay for the section next in advance in the other direction, a signal for each section controlled by the track relay and by the auxiliary relay for such section, and means controlled. by each signal for supplying current to the rails of the track section in the rear in one direction or the other.

5. A normal danger. signaling system comprising a plurality of block sections, a track relay for each section responsive to reversals of current, means for supplying current to the rails of each section in one direction or the other, an auxiliary relay for each section responsive to reversals of current, means controlled by said track relays and by the auxiliary relays vfor energizing the auxiliary relay for the-section next in advance of an occupied section in one direction and for energizing the auxiliary relay for the second section .in'advance of an occupied section in the other direction, and signals for the block sections controlled by said track relays and by said auxiliary relays.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature HERBERT A. WALLACE.

Witnesses:

A. IIERMAN WEGNER,

FAY Graseow. 

